With less rainfall than usual in our region this year, it’s important for us to keep as much water as we can in our network, ready for customers to use.
That’s why our find-and-fix teams are working 24/7 to repair leaks as quickly as possible. We’ve repaired nearly 17,000 leaks so far this year and we’re using some hi-tech ways to drive leakage down.
Repairing leaks on our network
Fixing leaks in our area is a big job, so we’re bringing more people in. We’re expanding capacity to support the 160 people in 79 repair teams that are already working seven days a week to repair leaks. As well as expanding our find-and-fix teams, we’ll be using innovative ways to stop leaks.
Finding leaks – listening out
We first have to find the leaks. Using the latest technology, our experts can pinpoint bursts in pipes quicker and more easily than before, particularly the ones that you don’t see above ground. We’ve placed 7,400 acoustic loggers in our water network to ‘listen out’ for leaks. This method of digitising the water network has helped our team find over two thirds of the leaks we’ve repaired since the beginning of the year. We also use Advanced Pressure Management, which reduces water loss by keeping the network ‘calmer’ – flowing at a constant pressure - to avoid bursts.
Looking out for leaks when you’re out and about
Some leaks can actually be seen on the ground. Our customers have helped us by spotting over 6,000 leaks since the start of 2022, and reporting them to us. We really appreciate people letting us know if they think they’ve seen a leak and we’ll always investigate reports of leaks, to fix them as quickly as possible.
We also encourage customers to tell us if they think there’s a leak in a property.
How much water we can save
Saving as much of this precious natural resource as we can, will continue to be a priority in our water-scarce region. As the population in our area continues to grow and we get more drought conditions, we’ll carrying on working every day to halve leakage by 2050.
The steps we’re taking mean we can aim to reduce leakage to 84.2 Ml/d before the end of the current five-year planning period in 2025 – that’s a 15% reduction compared to the beginning of the five-year period in 2020.
Other ways to save too
As well as finding and fixing leaks, saving water as we go about our daily lives can make a big difference too. Simple steps, like fully loading the washing machine or having four-minute showers will help protect supplies, the environment and save you money too. We’ve got lots of top tips to help.
Phil Tapping
Water Network Demand Manager